Two neighbouring families hijacked

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Published Aug 4, 2016

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Durban - Two Effingham, Durban families, living across from each other, were hijacked at gunpoint and terrorised by robbers within the space of a week.

The latest incident was on Tuesday morning. A father had just strapped his one-year-old son into his car seat when hijackers struck.

His two other children, aged 5 and 7, were waiting nearby while he locked the garage door of their Devshi Drive home. His wife, a teacher, was inside, getting ready to arm their home before leaving in their VW Polo.

“It happened at around 7.15am. After I took my car out the garage and parked it on the driveway, I saw a black Renault drive past with four men inside,” said the father, who requested anonymity.

“They made a U-turn then drove back past me and I assumed they left. While I was manually closing the garage door, I turned around and saw three men, two of whom were armed.

“One cocked the gun and instructed me not to scream. They searched me and took my driver’s licence and car keys.”

The homeowner said one of the suspects took his 1-year-old son out the baby seat and placed the child in his 7-year-old brother’s arms.

“My older child told them not to take his daddy’s car but they ignored him.”

He said three of the men jumped into his car and drove off. The getaway vehicle, driven by the fourth accomplice, also left.

He ran after his car and spotted an officer from Marshall Security on patrol, who gave chase. The Polo was found soon afterwards in KwaMashu, after a shoot-out. The men escaped on foot.

On Wednesday last week two sisters watched helplessly as their parents were held up at gunpoint and assaulted in their driveway by four armed robbers.

Madan Rampersad, 62, a financial adviser, and his wife, Jayshree, 54, arrived home at around 8.15pm, when four men jumped over the driveway gate and dashed towards them.

Jayshree, a housewife, had just exited their Mercedes Benz E-Class and was waiting for Madan to get out the car when she saw the quartet. One held her at gunpoint, two cornered her husband and the fourth served as a look-out.

A fifth suspect was near the getaway vehicle.

Their daughter Karishma, 34, who opened the back kitchen door for her parents to enter, was heading into the lounge when she saw the men on the CCTV camera.

“I saw five men jump over the closed driveway gate. I immediately locked the door and started screaming to alert my parents to remain in the car. My mother heard me but thought we were being held up inside,” said Karishma.

She said her younger sister, Nelisha, 29, had become hysterical.

Karishma managed to push the panic button, which made a noise. They saw one man pull their mother’s handbag, and because she was holding the gate remote, he assumed she activated the alarm.

He hit her twice with the butt of his gun on her head. Another punched their father.

Karishma said the men did not know how to start the car and pushed their mother into the driver’s seat.

Jayshree said: “I told them I did not know how to drive, even though I knew. My husband pulled me out and told them how to operate the car.”

The hijackers escaped, and despite a tracking device, the luxury car was not located.

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